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Focusing-oriented art therapy

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 Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy • 139

FOCUSING-ORIENTED ART THERAPY

Laury Rappaport, Ph.D., ATR-BC, REAT

“Creative people have probably always used this method. What is really new…
is the specificity to describe the steps and teach them.
— Eugene T. Gendlin

Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy is a theoretical and methodological approach that syn-

thesizes Gendlin’s Focusing method, the principles of Focusing-Oriented Therapy, and Art
Therapy theory and practice (Gendlin,1981a; 1996). I coined the phrase, Focusing-Oriented
Art Therapy, as a recognized approach within the field of art therapy.
Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy is used with individuals, couples, families, and groups
in a variety of settings such as psychiatric hospitals, day treatment programs, nursing homes,
schools, prisons, and more. Although Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy (FOAT) is a new term,
the application of combining Focusing with art therapy has been explored by both Focus-
ing therapists (Ikemi, Yano, Miyake, and Matsuoka, 2007; Leijssen, 1992; Marder, 1997;
Murayama, 1988; Neagu, 1988; and Tsuchie, 2003), as well as expressive arts therapists
(Merkur, 1997; Rappaport, 1988, 1992, 1998, 2005, 2008, and Knill, 2004).

Bridging Focusing and Art Therapy

Focusing is a mind/body practice of bringing a welcoming, friendly attitude toward
one’s felt sense of an issue, situation, or experience — and taking time to hear its messages
and meaning. Gendlin describes this need to combine the inner directed movement of Focus-
ing with something that helps the felt sense, our embodied knowing of, to move outward. He
states, “If therapy deals only with inner data, whether emotion or felt sense, it misses a cru-
cial dimension of the process of change. Therapy must involve more than Focusing on inner
data in reflective inner space. There also needs to be a movement outward, into interaction,
Focusing as such does not sufficiently provide the moving out” (1991, p. 267).
The creative synthesis of integrating Focusing with art therapy is a perfect balance
for accessing the inner felt sense while unfolding its wisdom through creative expression.
Focusing and Art Therapy share common aspects, contributing to the ease of their integra-
tion. Both Focusing and art therapy arise out of our innate humanness. Focusing accesses
the inner sanctum of our ongoing experiential process, while art is a natural expression
for communication of life’s meaning. Although the profession of Art Therapy dates back
to the 1940’s, its roots are traced back to indigenous cultures where the arts were inte-
grated into daily life (Kramer, 2000; Malchiodi, 2003; Naumburg, 1950, 1953, 1966; Rubin,
1998; Ulman and Levy, 1981). This ancient and universal application of art is reflected in
cave paintings, religious mandalas, Navajo sand paintings, rites of passage rituals, and in
140 • The Folio • 2008

healing ceremonies integrating decorative art with music and dance. Rhoda Kellogg (1967)
noted universal characteristics in children’s art cross culturally while Viktor Lowenfeld
(1957) observed children’s development expressed in predictable sequences in children’s
drawings.
Although Focusing and Art Therapy are different psychotherapeutic practices, they
are both intrinsically compatible, as each model very naturally accesses the felt sense — a
term coined by Gendlin to describe the experiential dimension that was discovered out of
research with Carl Rogers on what led to successful psychotherapy (Gendlin, 1981a). In
Focusing, the felt sense is accessed by bringing mindful attention along with a welcoming,
friendly, accepting inner stance, known as “the Focusing Attitude.” towards an inner experi-
ence, i.e. sensations arising in the body.
Similarly, during an Art Therapy session, the felt sense is essentially engaged through
the use of the body in artmaking. For example, the hand, arm, and torso are engaged while
painting, drawing, or sculpting. The felt sense also implicitly informs color and material
choice, the development of an image, and knowing when the art is completed. The “cross-
ing” of the felt sense in Focusing and Art Therapy contribute to a natural creative synthesis,
resulting in a comprehensive approach — Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy (FOAT). This
article includes a summary of the foundational principles of FOAT, basic steps for symbol-
izing a felt sense in art, and an overview with case examples of the three basic approaches,
namely, Clearing a Space with Art, Focusing-Oriented Art Psychotherapy, and Theme
Directed FOAT. Benefits of FOAT are also included.

Foundational Principles of Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy

(FOAT)
In keeping with Gendlin’s approach, the underlying principles of FOAT emphasize
the client’s sense of safety first, above all interventions. Of primary importance is “the per-
son in there.” Gendlin states, “In my student days, one of the most useful things anyone
told me was: ‘There is always a person in there.’ In infants and in senile people, seemingly
worthless people, and seemingly stupid children there is ‘someone in there’. Usually it is an
embattled person struggling to live somehow with (or in spite of) all the inner and the outer
content” (1996, p. 287). Safety for the “person in there” is established through therapeutic
presence, the Focusing Attitude, clinical sensitivity, grounding, and reflection:
1. Therapeutic Presence: This step begins with the therapist’s awareness of his or
her own state: Are you willing to be here? Are you willing to welcome and meet
the “person in there”? Can you be mindful of your own issues and states of mind?
Can you be friendly to your own self and the client’s felt sense?
2. The Focusing Attitude: A friendly, welcoming, accepting attitude is directed
toward both the felt sense and unfolding Focusing process, as well as toward the
creative process and art product.
3. Clinical Sensitivity: It is important to be mindful of the needs of the clinical pop-
ulation you are working with and to adapt Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy accord-
 Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy • 141

ingly. For example, when working with clients who have experienced trauma or
have severe mental illness, it is advisable to begin with eyes open, and not encour-
age closing the eyes until safety and grounding is firmly established within the
client.
4. Grounding: It is helpful to see that clients can establish a safe connection
with their body — being aware of their breath coming in and out of their body;
body awareness, such as feet touching the floor, noticing where their hands are
resting, etc.
5. Reflection: The therapist demonstrates empathic understanding in response to
the client’s verbal, nonverbal, and artistic communication. Reflection can occur
through:
a. experiential listening, in which the therapist says back to the client the heart
and essence of their communication.
b. artistic mirroring, in which the therapist may reflect understanding through an
artistic reflection (e.g. drawing a shape, using a color, or creating an image).
c. movement mirroring, in which the therapist conveys understanding through
nonverbal body movement or gesture.

Symbolizing the Felt Sense in Art

A basic step to integrate Art Therapy into Focusing is to express the felt sense in
visual art. This requires bringing the Focusing Attitude (being friendly and welcoming)
toward a felt sense, finding a handle/symbol as an image (or word, phrase, gesture, or sound),
and expressing it in art (figure 1). If the symbol comes as a word, phrase, or gesture, the cli-
ent is encouraged to express it in visual art through size, color, shape, etc. This process of
listening to the felt sense and seeing whether there is an image that matches it is the source
and inspiration for art making.

The Focusing Attitude

Handle/Symbol
as Image
ART
(word, phrase,
Felt Sense gesture or sound)

Figure 1: Expressing the Handle/Symbol in Art

142 • The Folio • 2008

FOAT Approaches
Gendlin’s Focusing method is adapted to create three basic approaches in FOAT
(Note: FOAT is an umbrella term covering the three approaches below): Clearing a Space
with Art, Focusing-Oriented Art Psychotherapy, and Theme Directed FOAT. Clearing a
Space with Art helps clients to have an experiential knowing that there is a self, separate
from their issues, and that there is a place of inherent wholeness within. It is useful for
stress reduction, as well as an entry point to the other two approaches. Focusing-Oriented
Art Psychotherapy (more of an in-depth therapy) is primarily applied to individual and
couples’ therapy where the issues arise out of the client’s experiencing and the orientation
is toward insight. A Theme-Directed approach is primarily used with groups, in which top-
ics related to the groups needs, such as strengths, fears, hopes, life balance, and so forth are
explored.
Table 1 shows how Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy corresponds to Gendlin’s six-step
Focusing method (Gendlin, 1981a), followed by Basic Instructions for guiding FOAT.

Table 1: Gendlin’s Focusing Steps and Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy

Gendlin’s 6 Step Focusing Focusing-Oriented

Focusing Method Art Therapy
1. Clearing A Space Inwardly sense what’s in the way Clearing a Space with Art
of feeling all fine Use art materials to set things at
a distance; artistic representation
of “All-Fine Place”

2. Choose Something Choose something from issues Focusing-Oriented Art

to work on and finding set aside during Clearing A Psychotherapy
a Felt Sense Space Choose something from issues
set aside during Clearing A
Space; or begin with this step:
“What’s needing my attention
right now?”
Theme Directed: Focus on
theme; Get a felt sense

3. Handle/Symbol Handle: word, phrase, image, Handle: Image

gesture, sound (or word, phrase, gesture, sound)

4. Resonate Check handle against felt sense Check handle against felt sense
to see if it is right to see if it is right; Sense the right
art materials to match the felt
sense; Express handle/symbol
in art
 Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy • 143

5. Ask Ask the felt sense questions: Ask the felt sense questions:
What makes it so______? What makes it so______?
What’s the crux of it? What’s the crux of it?
What would it be like if it were What would it be like if it were
all resolved? all resolved?
What’s in the way? What’s in the way?
What’s needed? What’s needed?
What’s a small step in the right What’s a small step in the right
direction? direction?
Dialogue with art:
What do you have to say to me?
What do you need?
Dialogue with different parts
Gestalt the art
Active imagination
Felt Sense of Art (word, phrase,
gesture, sound) into intermodal
transfer

6. Receive Receive and welcome what Receive and welcome what

comes (from the felt sense) comes from the felt sense and
from the art

Exercise 1: Basic Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy Guided Instructions

1. Clearing A Space:
Take a few deep breaths down inside of your body. Feel the support of the
chair that you’re sitting on, the earth beneath your feet, and being here. Follow your
breath inside of your body and notice how it is inside right now. . . Is it jumpy, or
calm, tight, warm . . . or something else? See if you can be friendly to whatever
you find. Imagine you’re sitting somewhere peaceful. It may a place you already
know or one that you make up in your imagination. Once you have that place, ask,
“What’s between me and feeling ‘All Fine’ right now?” As each thing comes up,
imagine wrapping it up into a package, or using other imagery to set it at a distance
from you. Some people imagine placing it on a boat and then letting the boat go a
certain distance out on a lake. Others imagine placing it in a balloon and letting it
go up in the sky. . . (Pause). When the list stops, check again, “Except for all of that,
I’m all fine, right?” If something else comes up, set that a distance outside of your
body . . . (Pause).
144 • The Folio • 2008

Background Feeling: See if there’s a background feeling, an always feeling,

like always kind of tense, or always kind of anxious.” (Pause) . . . and set that at a
comfortable distance too. . . Check again, “Except for all of that, I’m all fine…all
right?”
All Fine Place: Take a moment and sense the “All Fine” Place. See if there’s
an image (or word, phrase, gesture, or sound ) that matches or acts like a handle for
the inner felt sense. (Option: Stop here and create art from Step 1).

2. Choosing something to work on and getting a felt sense:

As you look over at the things you set down, see if there’s something needing
your attention right now. You can ask your body sense if something is wanting your
attention — or you can choose something that you’d like to work on. Check with
your body to see if you have its permission to Focus on it.

Felt Sense: Take a moment to sense the whole issue freshly . . . notice
how it feels in your body. (Pause). Gently ask, “What’s the whole feel
of this?”

3. Finding a Handle/Symbol:
See if there’s an image (or word, phrase, gesture, or sound) that matches or
acts like a handle for the inner felt sense.

4. Resonate with Artistic Expression:

Check your word, phrase, gesture or sound for a sense of rightness within
your body. If it doesn’t feel right, let it go and invite a new word, phrase, image,
gesture, or sound to come. When you’re ready, gently open your eyes, and create an
artistic expression of your felt sense image. (Option: to continue to the end of the
guided Focusing and create art at the end).

5. Asking the Felt Sense:

(After the client creates art). We’re going to ask the felt sense some questions.
Some it will answer and some won’t have relevance, so simply let those go. Feel free
to close your eyes or to leave them open. Imagine sitting down next the felt sense,
keeping it company. In a gentle way, ask it,
What makes it so__________?
What’s the crux of it? Or, What’s the main thing about it?
What’s the worst of it?
• Imagine for a moment that this issue were all resolved. This is like look-
ing the answer up in the back of the book. Sense inside your body what it
 Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy • 145

would look and feel like if this were all resolved? See if there’s an image
that matches or act like a handle for the inner felt sense of this issue all
resolved.
When you’re ready, ask:
• What’s in the way (between the issue and resolution)?
• What’s needed (to achieve this resolution)?
• What’s one small step in the right direction?
6. Receive:
Welcome whatever comes. Create an artistic expression that matches the col-
ors, shapes, or images that you received during the Focusing. Include what was
meaningful to you during the Focusing.

Clearing a Space with Art

In Clearing a Space with Art, the client identifies the issues that stand in the way of
feeling “all fine” and imagines placing them at a distance outside of the body. Imagery is
incorporated in helping to clear the space. For example, the client might imagine wrapping
each issue up in a package and placing it at a comfortable distance, or putting a concern or
problem on a boat and letting it float out on a lake. Art is incorporated in order to concret-
ize and symbolize the felt sense of the issues being set aside. After clearing the issues, the
client gets a felt sense of the “all fine place” and symbolizes it in art. At times, clients feel
they have already set their issues aside, using their imaginations, and prefer only to create
the “all fine place.”
Nicole, describes the painting (Figure 2) that came out of her experience of doing the
Clearing a Space exercise:

Figure 2 : “Clearing a Space” by Nicole

146 • The Folio • 2008

“In the image, I am blowing bubbles and watching them float away to a com-
fortable distance. Each bubble represents a different issue and concern. The
beach is painted with bright colors of turquoise, pink, orange, and yellow — it
is optimistic. I currently have the picture in my room, and when I am stressed
I find myself looking at it. Through the image I am able to connect to my ‘all
fine place’ and find solitude.”

Art Materials for Clearing A Space

A variety of art materials can be used, depending on the needs of the client popula-
tion. For example, clients in a more regressed state will need to use art materials that are
more controlled, such as pencils or markers as compared to watercolors. Higher functioning
clients may enjoy a wide range of materials. Examples of art materials include: drawing
materials, paint, assorted color papers to represent issues, clay, dough, modeling materials,
found objects, boxes, containers, bags, yarn, twine, magazine photos and words.

Focusing-Oriented Art Psychotherapy

In Focusing-Oriented Art Psychotherapy, art therapy can be integrated into Focusing
instructions (such as Gendlin’s six-steps, Cornell, 1996, 2002; Hinterkopf, 1998) or inter-
spersed in bits and pieces during a Focusing-Oriented psychotherapy encounter. The follow-
ing example demonstrates how art therapy is integrated with Gendlin’s six-steps by inviting
the client to express the handle of the felt sense as an image in visual art.

Example: Sarah
Sarah is a 48 year old woman, a cancer survivor who came to see me for art therapy.
Her goals were to learn tools for stress reduction and re-prioritize what holds meaning to her
after facing a life threatening illness. Excerpts of dialogue are provided to demonstrate how
Focusing and art therapy are integrated with each other into the session.

1. Clearing a Space:
Imagine you are in a peaceful place. It may be a place you know or it may be one you
create in your imagination… When you’re ready, ask, “What’s in the way between me and
feeling all fine right now?” As each thing comes up, imagine placing it at some distance
from you… perhaps on a park bench… or on a boat that you can go a certain distance on a
lake… as each thing arises, place it at a comfortable distance from you.

Sarah: There’s friction with my partner… not exercising… the desire to have meaningful
work.
Therapist: (After I say back the issues): Imagine wrapping each one up in a package and
setting it at a comfortable distance away from you. Now check freshly… Aside
 Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy • 147

from all of that, see if you are feeling “all fine”. (Sarah indicates “yes”. I invite her
to see if there’s a background feeling, an ‘always’ feeling, in the way):
Sarah: There’s the fear of a recurrence…
Therapist: See if you can be friendly to that fear… Can you imagine placing that at a dis-
tance from you with the others.
Sarah: Yes. (Sarah indicates that she has set all the things in the way of feeling “all fine”).
Therapist: See if there is a word, phrase, image, gesture, or sound that matches the felt
sense of the “all fine place”.
Sarah: In my center, I see a yellow radiant ball of light. Sarah creates the image
(Figure 3):

Figure 3

Accessing the ball of light helps Sarah connect with her life affirming energy. We can
stay with this step, Clearing a Space, or Sarah can move on if she would like to work on an
issue.

2. Choose an Issue and Felt Sense:

(Sarah chooses to work on the fear of the cancer recurrence.)

Therapist: Let your attention come down inside your body to the place of fear. See if you
can be friendly to it. Imagine sitting down next it… sense the whole feel of it… see if
there’s a word, phrase, image, gesture, or sound that matches the inner felt sense.

3. Symbol/Handle: image (or word, phrase, gesture, sound)

Sarah opens her eyes, creates a rolled thin shape using model magic with a balloon shape at
the end (Figure 4).
148 • The Folio • 2008

Figure 4

Sarah: The thin part is the tightness in my throat—where the fear lives.
4. Resonate:
(Pointing to the tight part in the art): This is the tightness in your throat where the fear lives.
Check to see if the image and art materials match the felt sense.

5. Asking the felt sense:

Therapist: Go back inside to the tightness and fear, keeping it company. Ask, “What
makes it so tight and afraid?”

6. Receive:
Sarah: When I’m stressed, I get afraid the cancer will come back.
(Alternating Asking and Receiving)…
Therapist: You’re afraid the cancer will return when you are stressed. Can you ask it what
it needs?
Sarah: It says singing helps.
Therapist: Would it like to sing now or would it like to imagine singing?
Sarah: It says it would like to imagine singing.
Therapist: Imagine a time when you were singing. Notice what it feels like in your body to
sing. See if there’s an image, gesture, or sound that matches the inner felt sense…

Sarah begins with a green oil pastel drawing from the bottom of the page upward and
outward, with flowing open movements, adding yellow, red, purple, and blue (Figure 5).

Sarah: When I imagined singing, the energy just went up — there was a release.
 Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy • 149

Figure 5

(I set the two drawings next to each other.)

Sarah: They’re so different! The second one has such a healing feeling. I need to give this
to myself. When I am afraid… this is something I can do… just imagining myself
singing changes the feeling. I keep hearing, “I can’t forget this. This is going to
save my life.”

As I view the profound shift from the tight, restricted image of the first artistic expres-
sion to the open, flowing radiance of the second, Sarah’s words, “This is going to save my
life” reverberates throughout me. How powerful to be able to transform the energy and emo-
tional state of fear to self-empowerment and hopeful possibility.

Therapist: If you’d like, you can take your art and put it in a place you see everyday. The
yellow ball of light can remind you of the place inside that is separate from all the
stressors—your inner radiance. The drawing can remind you of the ‘healing feel-
ing’ and to sing, or imagine singing to reduce the fear and stress.

Four years have passed since this session; Sarah is living well, cancer free, and is a
proud new mom!

Theme-Directed FOAT
In Theme Directed FOAT, specific themes are selected to coordinate with the needs
of a group or client. Instead of an issue arising from choosing something that was ‘set aside’
during Clearing A Space, a topic is chosen on which to Focus. This approach is useful for
group work where the entire group can be led through a group Focusing at once. Focusing
instructions can be amended to fit the needs of the clinical population (e.g. not closing eyes,
helping the directions to be more concrete, etc.). Theme Directed groups can vary from one
session to a specified number of weeks.
150 • The Folio • 2008

The following group is based on a twelve-week Theme Directed Focusing-Oriented

Art Therapy approach on stress reduction with adult psychiatric clients in day treatment (see
Table 2 for content outline). The overall design of the group follows, including the format,
and one example.

Table 2: Group Themes and Skills: 12 weeks

Week Theme Goal

1 Introduction to Stress Management: Introduce members to group goals and
goals of the group; psycho-educational each other; learn method of relaxation;
presentation on stress management; express felt sense and see felt shift in art
Peaceful Place Exercise

2 and 3 Identifying and Releasing Bodily Learn a second relaxation exercise;

Tension mind/body awareness of stress and
relaxation; felt sense and felt shift

4 and 5 Clearing a Space for Stress Reduction Learn the first step of Focusing: stress
reduction and wellbeing

6 and 7 Focusing Steps: Choosing an Issue to Learn how to work on an issue and iden-
Work On tify steps towards change—felt sense art.

8-12 Practice: Relaxation, Focusing, Art Reinforce learning relaxation, Focusing

Therapy Skills from Previous Weeks and art therapy methods for self-care.

The group followed a similar overall format each week in which both Focusing and
art therapy were implemented:
• Check-in
• Focusing Stress Check-in: identify tension in the body/symbolize as an image
• Draw felt sense image of stress
• Stress reduction exercise
• Focusing: identify tension in the body/symbolize as an image
• Drawing what the felt sense now
• Sharing

After introducing the group members to each other and stating the purpose of the
group, the therapist led the group in a Focusing-Check-in to notice the places of stress and
tension in the body, to get a felt sense as an image, and to express it in art. Afterwards, the
therapist guided the group in the “Peaceful Place” exercise, followed by Focusing to get a
felt sense as an image, and then to symbolize it in art.
 Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy • 151

Exercise 2: Focusing Stress Check-In

Take a few deep breaths into your body. Follow your breath down inside to your
body and notice any places that feel tense or stressed. See if you can be friendly to what-
ever is there. Now, see if there’s an image that acts like a handle for the inner felt sense
of the stress or tension. Check it for a sense of rightness. When you’re ready, draw the felt
sense image.

Exercise 3: Peaceful Place and “Being friendly”

Imagine that you are somewhere peaceful. It may be a place that you know, or one
that you make up in your imagination. Sense how it feels in your body . . . being friendly
to what you find . . . (Pause). Now, see if there’s an image that matches the inner felt sense.
When you are ready, draw the felt sense image.
Lisa is a forty-three-year old client with a history of bipolar disorder. Lisa’s first felt
sense image (Figure.6) is a red, constricted vertical shape which she describes as a knot
in her stomach.

Figure 6: Lisa, Felt Sense, Stress Figure 7: Lisa, Peaceful Place

After imagining the issue resolved, Lisa’s felt-sense image is transformed into a soft,
strong yellow flower with a smooth, figure eight shape around it (Figure 7). Lisa shares, “I
felt the tension in my stomach relax and change to peace.”
152 • The Folio • 2008

Felt Shift in the Body and Art

Visual art conveys the felt sense, documents the felt shift, and carries the experience
forward, as reflected in the case examples of Sarah and Lisa. While the felt shift can be seen
in the changes from one piece of art to another, it is important to have the client notice the
changes in the body. In Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy there is a back and forth checking
in with the body, image, art materials, body, image and so forth. It is similar to the “zigzag”
that Gendlin (2004) discusses, with the addition of art work. The power of viewing the felt
sense visually is that client and therapist can view the exact same image that represents the
felt sense — thereby increasing empathic understanding. In addition, the client can see how
her inner experience has changed. The client sees a change in the image or the aesthetics,
such as color, shape, media, etc. The client also has a visual reminder of the change and steps
toward growth and healing.

Integrating the Other Expressive Arts

While this article emphasizes Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy, the basic theoretical
framework and methodology is applicable to all of the expressive arts. The key element,
symbolizing the felt sense, is the doorway to all of the arts.

Symbol/Handle Expressive Arts Modality

Word or phrase develops into a poem or creative writing
Image develops into visual art
Gesture develops into movement or dance
Sound develops into music or sound exploration

Conclusion
In sum, the benefits of FOAT are as follows:
• Art externalizes, concretizes, and symbolizes a felt sense.
• The physical act of drawing helps the felt sense to open and move, thus bringing about
a felt shift—enhancing the Life Forward Direction.
• The art product enables both the client (Focuser) and therapist to see the same image
that symbolizes the felt sense.
• The visual art is a mirror of where the felt sense began, where the felt shifts occurred,
and where it ended in the session.
• The art product can serve as a tangible reference point to review — to see growth and
change (felt shifts).
• The client can take the art product with them as a reminder to integrate the experience
into life.
 Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy • 153

• The felt sense grounds imagery with the body.

• The felt sense can guide the artistic process — informing choice of materials, colors,
shapes, textures, and imagery.
• The felt sense unfolds the body’s next steps (towards healing, change, wellness, etc.)
• The felt sense opens the door to the body’s wisdom and creativity.

The many benefits experienced by clients demonstrate that Focusing and Art Therapy
enhance one another. Art Therapy brings to Focusing an array of methods, tools, and mate-
rials, as well as an in-depth understanding of the healing power of imagery to give visual
expression to the felt sense. Art Therapy also provides Focusing with a nonverbal modality
to capture aspects of the felt sense beyond words, or before words. From the other direction,
Focusing offers Art Therapy some awareness of the bodily felt experience and provides
depth for working psychotherapeutically with concepts such as “the person in there”, pres-
ence, experiential listening, the therapeutic relationship, and the experiential dimension.
Note: This article includes excerpts from Laury Rappaport’s newly published book,
Focusing-oriented art therapy: Accessing the body’s wisdom and creative intelligence,
2008, reprinted with permission from Jessica Kinglsey Publishers.

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